Welcome,
I'm Kath.
Today we'll be expanding our mindfulness practice into the realm of sense.
Find a safe and relaxing space outdoors where you can walk around and fully engage with your sense of smell.
This could be in a park,
Trail,
Or any area in your neighborhood.
Make sure that as you listen to this recording,
You are still aware of your surroundings.
Once you're ready,
Walk at a very slow and relaxed pace.
The slowest possible walk without attracting much attention from others.
Fully inhabit your body and sense if there's any tension or tightness there.
Go ahead and soften these parts.
Center and ground yourself by feeling the soles of your feet as they hit the floor.
Spend the next few moments being fully present as you move.
Sense how the ground beneath you is strongly supporting you and your every step.
As you continue to walk,
Shift your attention now to your breathing.
Focus on the rims of your nostrils,
Feeling the air come in as you inhale and feeling the air come out as you exhale.
Now as you focus on your breath,
You might start to notice the sense around you.
A rich combination or sequence of pleasant,
Unpleasant,
And neutral smells as you pass by.
Without labeling or identifying them,
Simply notice each scent as it arises.
Try to trace each scent as it comes up until it fades away.
If your mind starts to wander,
Gently guide your focus back to the scents around you.
Notice the space between scents as well.
Observe how sharp the mind can be as it waits to detect the next scent.
Observe how the body automatically reacts to these stimuli.
Maybe your nose crinkles a bit as soon as an unpleasant aroma is there.
Or your nose might want to take in more of the pleasant scents.
Notice how our brains naturally crave pleasant stimuli and resist unpleasant stimuli.
Gently observe without further judgment or reactivity.
If you get distracted,
This is perfectly fine and understandable,
Especially if you're doing this outside your home.
With compassion for yourself,
Gently bring your attention back to the scents around you.
Notice if the scents trigger any thoughts,
Memories,
Or feelings.
If they do,
Simply observe these as they come up without feeding them with reactivity or judgment.
In a few moments,
We'll come out of this practice.
To transition,
You can shift your attention from scents back to walking.
As you take each step,
Peel the soles of your feet as you place them on the ground.
When you're ready,
You can gently come out of the practice and mindfully move to your next activity.
Thank you for joining me today.
May you stay centered and equanimous for the rest of your day.
You
